www.kult.kurier.at- 2.06.2001- translated from German

Jon Bon Jovi interview

What risks would you take, what risks would you rather avoid? 

I wouldn't want to balance on a cable between two skyscrapers. But professionally... if there was something, with which I would think, that I don't feel well, then, only then, I would not do it. For example it would have been safer for me, if I had not decided to become actor. The world looks at this more with disapproval in many ways. It would have been safer for me to be just a rock star and be happy with it. At many places in America, it was better for me to be unpolitical. But I was with Al Gore on stage each evening. I thought, shit on it, even if Republicans now no longer buy my records, I decided to use my voice. If there is a situation, in which I think I risk something, but I consider it's worth, I'll take the risk- no matter if it's political situation or the movie- for example last week I delivered the keynote address to the graduates in a college, I, that never visited a college. I felt nervous, but there was a positive reaction, therefore I thought, it was okay. 

You have supported Gore - what do you and the band think about Bush-administration? 

The band has no relevancy there, I can not speak in behalf of them. I must accept, that Bush is our chosen president, although I agree in rather few points with his platform. 

Did you do statements on stage however? 

No, I didn't do that for Gore. If I am with an election operation or if I discuss political things with you at the telephone is different from this to be on stage- neither it's place nor the time for it. Even when we were in Miami and all these things happened, I have said nothing. 

In the commentment speech, you have said, that you always saw yourself as a kind of Underdog. Is it hard, as big rock star, to retain this Underdog-Image? 

It is no exaggeration: No matter, into which step you are, there is never a top of the mountain. There is always somebody, that is bigger, better, stronger. They are either superior to you in statuses, success or experience. I think, it is a continuous learning process, and in our case (for Bon Jovi) I think, that we had turned into Underdogs again. And this, that people wanted, made that "Crush" happened. 

How do you remain in connection with younger bands? 

We don't often go to these presentations, but we were at VH-1 Awards. Creed, Matchbox Twenty, all the young, rising bands were there and said: You are the reason, why we do that. I thought: Wow! I didn't know, if I should feel older about it, but I realized, that we had come to the first chapter of this Aerosmith-Status of the elder Statesmen, after we were 20 years in the business. Many of these people are only 25 years old, they were seven, as I already did records. It is rather cool, I find it madly, that "One Wild Night" is our eleventh album.

Are there any certain situations, in which your fans should hear Bon Jovi? 

At home with headphones on the bed would be okay. It would be better to ask, in which situations I would not want to hear it. If the music appears in a commercial, in which it does sense, then, it's o.k. If it applied something, in which I don't believe, if it supported something violent or if it used in Neonasist- movement, I would immediately have objections.

Your attraction for the women is well known. Did you try already to explain what is the reason for this attraction? 

It is a mystery obviously. I have never seen that in this way. This reputation is for a long time. When I was young that disturbed me much more. I want to be noticed because of my music or my movies and not because people considered me as pretty. But after all the years, I know, that I am done what I'm done and the rest is only frosting. I believe, that I am too small, I have a big nose, I am not Tom Cruise. Nevertheless the girls behave like crazy.

Is the film Almost Famous is true about rock and roll style of life? 

In this film, it were moments, that were so true, they touched me, because I knew, what comes off there. I asked a promoter recently, if the young people still make this for sex, Drugs, Rock'n'Roll thing, and he said no; we would have written the last chapter of this Led-Zeppelin-Book. But our US-Support-Band SR71 said, there is still there. 

That sounds as if Rock'n'Roll-Life is far from the sex, Drugs and so on? 

No, but I eat no longer pizza, drink warm beer and live in a bus. The lifestyle is different. There are other rules. The old chapter was Aerosmith Zeppelin, AC/DC- the before MTV- era, when you worked for your reputation by tours, and not because you sold more refrigerators for their broadcaster. Now there are only three record companies. I know no longer whoever possesses me - somebody, that produces waters in France. Before I called a DJ-Friend in Cleveland, gave him my type, he liked it and played it on the radio. Today, there are other rules, it is possible, to become big through the Internet. I said to the DJ then: You are the most lonely people in the music-business, sit alone at an place before a microphone and don't know, if somebody listens to you. Why can't one be creative today? There is still hope for young bands. In my time, the alcohol-limitation in New Jersey was 18 years, therefore you could be at 16 into a bar. As they increased it on 21, you could not be at 16 into a bar, plays and works for your reputation. The lives of many people have already changed at 21, it's more responsible, needs more money, has less time to practice in the garage and must play covers to survive. So many kids have made astonishing records into their bedrooms, because the venues were far away, no bars, no chirch concerts, no street-parties